Permeable disposable filter and beverage system

ABSTRACT

A disposable filter can replace a reusable filter in a reusable coffee filter. The disposable filter can be removed immediately after use and discarded without mess, making the single cup brewer available without delay for the next brew cycle. The disposable filter includes a basket portion having a collar, where the basket portion can fit into a reusable coffee filter holder and the collar can rest over a lip of the reusable coffee filter holder.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to single cup beverage preparationaccessories and, more particularly, to a disposable beverage filtercompatible with, for example, the Keurig® My K-Cup® reusable coffeefilter.

Beverages are often brewed as a single cup at a time with various singlecup brewers, such as the Keurig® Single Cup Coffee Brewing System or thelike . These single cup brewers can be used for brewing pre-packaged,preselected products such as coffee, tea and like product medium withinnon-biodegradable, non-compostable, and environmentally unfriendlysealed plastic cartridges. Such a brewer uses a penetrator or needle toinject pressurized heated water into a cartridge for combination withthe extract to produce a beverage.

Alternatively, these single cup brewers offer an environmentallyfriendly, reusable filter. This filter is typically a three-part productthat includes a mini filter basket that fits into a filter holder with acap that can be used with the user's own coffee. Such reusable filterbaskets are filled with a selected coffee and positioned in a filterholder which, in turn, is positioned in the brewing chamber of a singlecup brewer. The brewer's penetrator or needle enters the holder via anopening in the holder cap and injects pressurized heated water into theholder to combine with the coffee within the reusable filter basket. Theoutflow of the coffee beverage exits the holder via a hole, spout, exit,or the like, in its bottom and dispenses into a separate and existingcup or container.

These reusable filters, however, are prone to clogging (as identified byBoul, U.S. Pat. No. 8,221,813 B2), and can result in a slow and messyprocess, thereby defeating the expediency and convenience of using asingle cup brewer. Additionally, like the pre-packaged cartridge, theyare limited to only one chamber for the placement of product.

FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a prior art reusable coffeefilter. A coffee filter holder 10 can hold a reusable coffee filter 14and a coffee filter holder cap 12 can fit over the reusable coffeefilter 14 inside the coffee filter holder 10. The flange/collar of thereusable coffee filter 14 serves as a gasket and seal between the coffeefilter holder 10 and the coffee filter cap 12 which serves to preventleakage of pressurized heated water or coffee grounds. The brewer'spenetrator or needle (not shown) enters the holder 10 via an opening 21in the holder cap 12 and injects pressurized heated water into theholder 10 to combine with the coffee. The outflow of the coffee beverageexits the holder 10 via an opening 11 in its bottom and dispenses into aseparate and existing cup or container (not shown).

After each use, and before the next brew cycle can be started, thecoffee grounds must be removed from the reusable filter. This processcan be time consuming because the reusable filter is hot and difficultto handle. If allowed to cool, however, the used coffee grounds canbecome hard and compacted, requiring the filter to be tapped against ahard surface to release the grounds. This can result in damage to thefilter. Additionally, used coffee grounds can be easily spilled ontocountertops and floor surfaces and potentially clog drains if rinsed ordiscarded into sinks.

To this end, a need exists for a disposable beverage filter thatovercomes the problems and limitations of prior art filters. It is tosuch a filter that the present invention is directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a disposable beverage filtercomprises a self-supporting basket portion formed from a water permeablematerial with one or more chambers having a ring-shaped opening thereto;and a collar disposed about an outer periphery of the ring-shapedopening of the basket portion, the collar fitting over an exterioropening of a reusable coffee filter holder of a reusable coffee filterand is configured to fit precisely within, and designed to becoterminous with, a prior art, separate and existing, reusable coffeefilter holder, such as holder 10 of FIG. 1.

In another aspect of the present invention, a disposable beverage filtercomprises a basket portion formed from a water permeable material havinga ring-shaped opening thereto; a collar attached to and disposed aboutan outer periphery of the ring-shaped opening of the basket portion, thecollar fitting over an exterior opening of a coffee filter holder of areusable coffee filter, and is configured to fit precisely within, anddesigned to be coterminous with, a prior art, separate and existing,reusable coffee filter holder, such as holder 10 of FIG. 1. A tab canextend from the disposable beverage filter, wherein the tab extends froman inner edge of the collar and extends into the ring-shaped opening.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdrawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a reusable coffee filteraccording to the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a an exploded perspective view of a beverage filter assemblyaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a disposable beverage filter used in thebeverage filter assembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the disposable beverage filter of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the disposable beverage filter of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a disposable beverage filter having atab according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the disposable beverage filter showingan exemplary demarcation line showing how different materials may beused to create the basket portion of the disposable beverage filter;

FIG. 8 is a side view of a disposable beverage filter showing twodistinct chambers according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 9 is a side view of a three chamber disposable beverage filterhaving a separate product disposed within each chamber with a sealingmember according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplatedmodes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. Thedescription is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merelyfor the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention,since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a disposablefilter that does not include any impermeable materials for structure orsupport, such as an outer container with a bottom and/or a sidewall,that can replace a reusable filter in, for example, a Keurig® My K-Cup®reusable coffee filter or the like. The disposable filter can be removedimmediately after use and discarded without mess, making the single cupbrewer available without delay for the next brew cycle. The disposablefilter includes a self-supporting basket portion having a collar, wherethe basket portion can fit precisely into a reusable coffee filterholder and the collar can rest over a lip of the reusable coffee filterholder.

Referring to FIGS. 2 through 5, a disposable beverage filter 16 includesa self-supporting basket portion 20 and a collar 18. Similar to thereusable beverage filter 14, described above, the disposable beveragefilter 16 can be designed to be placed into a reusable coffee filterholder 10. The reusable coffee filter holder cap 12 can fit over thereusable coffee filter holder 10 to prevent, by sealing with the collar18, leakage of injected pressurized heated water or coffee grounds fromthe disposable beverage filter 16.

The basket portion 20 can be separately attached to the collar 18 or maybe manufactured as a single unit. The basket portion 20 can be made of awater permeable material that will allow for the filtration of productmedium, such as a paper-based material or a compostable corn-basedmaterial, a natural mesh material, or the like. As described below, insome embodiments, the basket portion 20 can be made from two or moredifferent materials attached together to form the basket portion 20.

The basket portion 20 can have side walls that are designed with flutesor pleats, forming channels along the side of the basket portion 20. Thelength of the basket portion 20 can vary. In some embodiments, a bottomportion of the basket portion 20 may rest on the bottom of the filterholder. In other embodiments, the bottom portion of the basket portionmay be shortened, providing head space between the filter bottom and thefilter holder bottom. The basket portion 20 can be formed in variousshapes, including conical, frustoconical, tubular, or the like. Thebottom of the basket portion 20 can be designed in various shapes aswell, including curved, circular, flat, and the like.

The filter 16 can be made permeable to liquids and can be formed fromvarious commercially available materials, including paper-based materialor a compostable corn-based material, a natural mesh material, or thelike. In some embodiments, the entire filter 16 is made frombiodegradable, compostable permeable materials.

The collar 18 can be formed of a resilient material so as to provide agasket and seal between the reusable coffee filter holder 10 and thereusable coffee filter holder cap 12. The collar 18 can be made from,for example, multiple layers of the material forming the basket portion20. The collar 18 can be made from other materials, provided that thebasket portion 20 can attach thereto.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a tab 24 can be included on the disposablebeverage filter 16. The tab 24 may extend from the disposable beveragefilter 16 to permit a user to easily grasp the disposable beveragefilter 16 and remove it from the reusable coffee filter holder 10. Insome embodiments, the tab 24 can extend from the collar 18 toward aninside of the ring-shape of the collar 18. The tab 24 can be made fromvarious materials, and may be the same or different material as that ofthe collar 18.

Referring to FIG. 7, the basket portion 20 may be formed from more thanone material. A material line of demarcation 22 can indicate where twodifferent materials connect together. The different materials may bedesigned for different applications. For example, for use with tea, auser may desire a less permeable material at a lower end of the basketportion 20 to provide the tea with steeping time. The differentmaterials can be two different materials, different thicknesses of thesame material, overlap of materials, or the like. Although the materialline of demarcation 22 is shown at a particular location along thebasket portion 20, the specific location of the material line ofdemarcation 22 can be located in various positions on the basket portion20. Moreover, multiple materials and multiple material lines ofdemarcation 22 may be used in the basket portion 20.

Referring now to FIG. 8, the basket portion 20 can include one or morechambers, such as two chambers, for example, as shown in FIG. 8. Anupper chamber 26 and a lower chamber 28. The two chambers 26, 28 can beused for various purposes. In some embodiments, each chamber may includea different material, such as coffee grounds in one chamber and aflavoring or non-dairy creamer in another chamber. The material for eachchamber 26, 28 may be the same or different. Although the upper chamber26 and the lower chamber 28 are shown at a particular configuration toform the basket portion 20, the relative size (proportion relative tothe size of the entire basket portion 20) of each of the upper and lowerchambers 26, 28 can vary. Moreover, additional chambers can becontemplated within the scope of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9, the basket portion can include one or morechambers, such as three chambers, for example, as shown in FIG. 9. Anupper chamber 34, a middle chamber 36, and a lower chamber 38 can beseparated by a base material 30. The base material 30 may be, forexample, a paper-based material or a compostable corn-based material, anatural mesh material, or the like. All of the chambers 34, 36, 38 canbe filled with product. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the upperchamber 34 may include product, such as coffee grounds, the middlechamber 36 may include product, such as sugar, and the lower chamber 38may include product, such as non-dairy creamer. In this configuration,the pre-packaged product can be agitated in the upper chamber, possiblyflow controlled, and the extracted liquid can flow to the lowerchambers, mix with each product and then flow out of the reusable coffeefilter holder 10.

A pierceable cover 32 can be provided to cover the ring-shaped openingformed by the collar 18 to seal product inside. The cover 32 can be madefrom various materials, including one or more of paper, corn-basedproducts, foil, plastic or the like. The cover 32 can be removable orpermanent.

The filter 16 can be formed in other configurations. For example, in amultiple chamber embodiment, instead of stacked chambers, as shown inFIG. 9, the chambers may be nested within one another. For example, acreamer and/or sugar chamber may be nested within a coffee chamber. Inother embodiments, the chambers may be disposed as vertical chambers, asopposed to the horizontal chambers illustrated by example in FIG. 9.

The disposable beverage filter 16 can be packaged in various forms. Forexample, the disposable beverage filter 16 can be stacked together ormay be pressed flat for a user to push open the filter basket portion20. In some embodiments, the disposable beverage filter 16 may becompressed and inserted into a packet similar to that of a typical teabag, for example.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates toexemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the following claims.

1. A disposable beverage filter comprising: a basket portion formed froma water permeable material having a ring-shaped opening thereto, whereinthe basket portion excludes any impermeable materials for structure orsupport, and further excludes an outer container or assembly with abottom and/or a sidewall; and a collar attached directly to and disposedabout an outer periphery of the ring-shaped opening of the basketportion, the collar fitting directly between an exterior opening of aseparate and unattached reusable coffee filter holder and a reusablecoffee filter holder cap, wherein the disposable beverage filter isself-supporting within the reusable coffee filter holder.
 2. (canceled)3. The disposable beverage filter of claim 1, wherein theself-supporting basket portion fits precisely within, and is designed tobe coterminous with, the reusable coffee filter holder.
 4. Thedisposable beverage filter of claim 1, wherein the collar and the basketportion are formed as an integral unit.
 5. The disposable beveragefilter of claim 1, wherein the collar and the basket portion are formedseparately and joined together.
 6. The disposable beverage filter ofclaim 1, further comprising a tab extending from the disposable beveragefilter.
 7. The disposable beverage filter of claim 6, wherein the tabextends from an inner edge of the collar and extends into thering-shaped opening.
 8. The disposable beverage filter of claim 1,wherein the basket portion includes at least two different materialsforming different portions of the basket portion.
 9. The disposablebeverage filter of claim 1, wherein the basket portion includes at leasta first chamber and a second chamber.
 10. The disposable beverage filterof claim 9, wherein at least one of the first chamber and the secondchamber includes a pre-packaged product.
 11. The disposable beveragefilter of claim 1, wherein the basket portion includes three or morechambers.
 12. The disposable beverage filter of claim 1, furthercomprising a cover disposed over the ring-shaped opening, the coversealing product inside and being pierceable to admit a heated liquid.13. A disposable beverage filter comprising: a self-supporting basketportion formed from a water permeable material having a ring-shapedopening thereto wherein the basket portion excludes any impermeablematerials for structure or support, and further excludes an outercontainer or assembly with a bottom and/or a sidewall; a collar attacheddirectly to and disposed about an outer periphery of the ring-shapedopening of the self-supporting basket portion, the collar fittingdirectly between an exterior opening of a separate and unattachedreusable coffee filter holder and a coffee filter holder cap; and a tabextending from the disposable beverage filter, wherein the tab extendsfrom an inner edge of the collar and extends into the ring-shapedopening.
 14. The disposable beverage filter of claim 13, wherein theself-supporting basket portion includes at least two different materialsforming different portions of the self-supporting basket portion. 15.The disposable beverage filter of claim 13, wherein the self-supportingbasket portion includes at least a first chamber separated from a secondchamber.
 16. A disposable beverage filter comprising: a basket portionformed from a water permeable material having a ring-shaped openingthereto, the basket portion divided into two or more chambers whereinthe basket portion excludes any impermeable materials for structure orsupport, and further excludes an outer container or assembly with abottom and/or a sidewall; a collar disposed about an outer periphery ofthe ring-shaped opening of the basket portion, the collar fitting overan exterior opening of a reusable coffee filter holder, wherein abeverage brewing product is disposed in at least one of the two or morechambers.
 17. The disposable beverage filter of claim 16, wherein thecollar and the basket portion are formed as an integral unit.
 18. Thedisposable beverage filter of claim 16, wherein the collar and thebasket portion are formed separately and joined together.
 19. Thedisposable beverage filter of claim 16, further comprising a tabextending from the disposable beverage filter.
 20. The disposablebeverage filter of claim 19, wherein the tab extends from an inner edgeof the collar and extends into the ring-shaped opening.